The display resolution of a digital display device, for example a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), a plasma display panel (“PDP”), digital light processing (“DLP”) projector, or related technologies, is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. In other words, the display resolution is the physical number of columns and rows of pixels creating the display. The term “display resolution” can be misleading though, as it generally means pixel dimensions, i.e., the number of pixels in each dimension, which does not reflect the resolution of the display on which the image is actually formed. This resolution is properly referred to as the pixel density.
The pixel density, or the pixels per inch (“PPI”) measurement, of a display device is a function of the size of the display device and the total number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions of the display device (i.e., the display resolution). Thus, a display designed to be rendered on a first display device having a first pixel density may have a different size if rendered on a second display device having a second pixel density.
Designers who design software for mobile devices, or other resource constrained devices, for example smartphones (e.g., APPLE® IPHONE®, GOOGLE® NEXUS ONE or other GOOGLE® ANDROID® based phones, etc.) or tablets (e.g., APPLE® IPAD®, AMAZON® KINDLE®, etc.), generally design the software on conventional computers, for example personal computers (“PCs”) or APPLE® computers. Designers often use design software to emulate mobile devices on conventional computers to test software designed for mobile devices. This allows the designer to see and interact with an emulated preview reflecting how the software would appear and behave on a specific mobile device.
However, because the pixel density of the display device on which the emulated mobile device is rendered may differ from the pixel density of the emulated mobile device, the emulated mobile device may not be shown having its actual physical size. This presents difficulties to designers, for example user interface controls may appear sufficiently spaced on the emulated mobile device, but when the software is run on the actual mobile device the spacing may be unacceptable. Additionally, while design programs may include zoom controls that may be adjusted by a designer, such adjustment may be time consuming and still may not ensure that the emulated mobile device is rendered having its actual physical size.